27 September 2015

Ex-Muslim speaker's Warwick University ban overturned following public pressure

A decision to ban a speaker from Warwick University, citing fears she may offend Muslim students, has been reversed.

The Telegraph revealed on Friday that ex-Muslim and human rights activist Maryam Namazie had been blocked from speaking at an event organised by Warwick Atheist Secularist and Humanist Society (WASH).

he Iranian-born secularist is well known for her talks which highlight aspects of Islam she does not agree with.

The students' union indicating the decision had been made was made “in deference to the right of Muslim students not to feel intimidated or discriminated against on their University campus.”

But, after 48 hours of intense public pressure, the union has backed down.

A petition had been set up calling for the decision to be overturned and high-profile academics such as Prof Brian Cox, Richard Dawkins, Ben Goldacre and Salman Rushdie had hit out at the initial ruling. [Coventry Telegraph] Read more